Minimalist Challenge 2025

REGISTRATION

**This event will be capped at 100 anglers**
Registration will be open through www.bayoucoast.com until 8:00PM Central Time,  January 31, 2025.

FORMAT

Entry Fee: $35 per participant or entry via the SEASON PASS. There will also be 2 optional calcuttas for an additional $5 each.

The tournament will be a shotgun launch at the Leeville Public Launch. All anglers must be present for in-person weigh-in at the designated location and time to weigh their fish. Each angler will be provided with a bag of specific lures and tackle to use during the tournament. ONLY the lures and tackle provided may be used. POSSESSION of any other lures or fishing tackle will result in disqualification. Kayaks may be checked at the launch.

The following items are permitted, provided they are used as intended:

• Super glue
• Leader material
• Speed clips or tactical clips (one at a time)

The following are NOT allowed under any circumstances:

• Additional weights of any kind
• Any type of scent or dyes
• Floats or corks (except those explicitly provided)
• Scavenged, found or repurposed items not provided, such as old corks or items found afloat

LOCATIONS, BOUNDARIES & TIMES

Captains Meeting

8:00 PM Thursday January 30, 2025 on Facebook Live.

Tackle Bag Pick Up Locations and Times

• Friday (optional): Galliano Inn @ 7:00PM (18628 LA-3235, Galliano, LA 70354)
• Saturday: Leeville Public Launch from 5:00AM – 5:45AM

Launch / Awards Ceremony Location

Leeville Public Launch (Theogene B. Melancon Boat Launch)
24359 Old Hwy 1, Golden Meadow, LA 70357

Tournament Start Time

The official shotgun launch time is 6:00 AM. DO NOT leave prior to the shotgun launch horn/announcement. You may launch and stage in the immediate area of the launch to clear boat ramps but DO NOT venture forth and do not cast before shotgun launch. You may launch later than 6:00 AM. You must be present at 6:00 AM.  REMINDER: Be courteous, DO NOT BLOCK LAUNCHES.

Tournament End Time

The scale opens at 2:30 PM & closes at 3:30 PM. See the WEIGH-IN section below for rules.

Boundaries

Anglers are required to launch from the Leeville Public Launch and are allowed to fish any waters they can access by kayak from this launch.

OBJECTIVE

Winner Determination
The angler with the highest total cumulative weight is the winner. The highest total weight wins, regardless of the number of fish caught.
(For example: A heavier two-fish stringer wins over a lighter three-fish stringer.)

Fish Requirements

• Redfish
  • Limit: 2
  • Minimum length: 18.00”
  • Maximum length: 26.00” (Tail CANNOT touch the 26.00” line)
• Speckled Trout
  • Limit: 5
  • Minimum length: 13.00”
  • Maximum limit: Only 2 Trout may exceed 20.00”
• Flex Fish
  • Limit: 1
  • Species: Angler’s choice of Flounder, Sheepshead, or Black Drum
    • Flounder & Sheepshead: Minimum length 12.00”, no maximum length
    • Black Drum: Minimum length 16.00”, maximum length 26.00” (Tail CANNOT touch the 26.00” line)

Optional Calcuttas (additional $5 entry each)

• Mule Trout – Heaviest speckled trout
• Stud Red – Heaviest redfish

WEIGH-IN

The Scale opens at 2:30 PM & closes at 3:30 PM. DO NOT BE LATE! You MUST physically appear WITH YOUR FISH and be in line to sign in NO LATER THAN 3:30:00 PM as per cell phone time of the appointed time keeper. Proxy sign-ins are not allowed. Weigh-in will continue until all participants who signed in on time have had their catch weighed. Any fisherman in line to sign in at the weigh-in station before the 3:30:00 PM cut-off time on February 1, 2025 will be allowed to weigh their fish. At 3:30:01, any entrant not in line to sign-in will be considered late and will not be allowed to weigh their catch and will not qualify for any awards.

There will be no culling fish at the weigh in table. You should have your fish culled before getting to the weigh in table.

Anglers possessing a legal fish that does not meet the size requirements of the tournament will be granted an opportunity to replace that fish with an alternate fish that does meet the tournament size requirements. If the second fish also fails to meet the tournament size requirements the angler will be disqualified.

All fish must be legal, as outlined in the 2024 LDWF Fishing Regulations Brochure, AT THE TIME OF WEIGH-IN. Anglers possessing illegal fish will be disqualified. KEEP IN MIND that iced fish will shrink. A just barely 18″ redfish might be a 17.8″ redfish when you get to the weigh-in.

Tie Breaker

In case of any tie, the earliest sign-in time will be the tie breaker.

AWARDS CEREMONY

The Awards Ceremony will take place at 3:30 PM at the Leeville Public Launch, following the closure of the scales. You must be present at the ceremony to place, but attendance is not required to qualify for the Championship. We will be cooking food and providing drinks for everyone to enjoy during the ceremony.

Payout, Awards and Championship Qualification

• Payouts: We will pay out 10% of the field. One paid spot for every 10 anglers that register.
• Awards: The top 5 finishers will receive plaques.
• Championship Qualification: The top 20 finishers will qualify for the BCKFC Championship.
• Entry Fee Allocation: $18 per entry is allocated to payouts. The remaining funds go towards food, fees, and the Championship.

ANGLER OF THE YEAR / CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION

The top 20 anglers on the leaderboard of Minimalist Challenge are eligible for qualification to the BCKFC Championship. To fully qualify, an angler must be a paid club member in good standing with BCKFC and have paid entry to at least two 2025 Championship Series tournaments or have purchased the 2025 BCKFC Season Pass.

Points are awarded for Angler of the Year at each tournament with 1st receiving 300 points, 2nd receiving 299 points, 3rd receiving 298 points, and so on down the line. To receive points, an angler must weigh in at least a single legal fish and be a BCKFC member in good standing. The Angler of the Year points total represents the 4 qualifying tournaments plus the BCKFC Championship, less a drop of the worst placing tournament for each individual angler.

At the end of all 4 qualifying tournaments, at least the top 2 anglers in angler of the year points (who had not qualified on the podium) will gain entry to the championship via wildcard. If there are still less than 40 anglers qualified for the championship after the initial 2 wildcards are earned, up to 3 more wildcard places may be awarded to the next highest Angler of the Year points earners (who had not qualified on the podium) so that a minimum of 40 anglers qualify for the championship.

GENERAL RULES

PARTICIPATION AND ELIGIBILITY

Participation is open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Minors are eligible to participate with a parent or legal guardian signature on the release form. All participants represent that they are physically and mentally competent and fit and able to participate. By entering, all participants agree to assume all risks of personal injury, death, and damage to or loss of property and further agree to indemnify and hold BCFKC, its officers, members, agents, and sponsors harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action resulting directly or indirectly from participation.

FISHING LICENSE

All anglers are required to have a valid Louisiana, Fresh and Salt water Fishing license.

KAYAK/WATERCRAFT REGULATIONS

ALLOWED PROPULSION METHODS: Paddle, pedal, pole and electric motor. See additional requirements for motors below.

MOTOR ELIGIBILITY: Only one electric motor may be attached to the kayak. It must be attached to the kayak in a safe manner for operation and meet the following criteria:

• Maximum of 3 HP or 155 foot-pound thrust.
• Dual-prop motors operated by a single power source are allowed if manufactured and sold as a single unit.

WATERCRAFT ELIGIBILITY: Must be a vessel the manufacturer identifies and sells as a kayak, including: inflatable kayaks, modular kayaks, stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) and canoes. Catamaran-style personal fishing vessels are allowed if they comply with all other regulations. Other watercraft may be approved by the BCKFC Board prior to competition.

PROHIBITED WATERCRAFT: The following are NOT allowed: soloskiffs or vessels marketed as skiffs, homemade kayaks, sailboats, jon boats, pirogues, coracles, rowboats, dinghies, skiffs, float tubes, inflatable rafts, rigid inflatable boats (e.g., Zodiac), pontoon boats, pontoon-style pond boats, twin-hull watercraft, or similar

WATERCRAFT SIZE RESTRICTIONS: Vessel must be at least 9 feet and shorter than 18 feet.

ANCHOR SYSTEMS: Both manual and motorized anchor systems are permitted.

DEPTH FINDERS: Depth finders and fish finders are allowed.

WADE FISHING AND BANK FISHING: Contestants may wade fish or fish off the bank only if they remain within 100 feet of their launched paddle craft. “Launched” means the kayak is partly in fishable water (not in a parking lot puddle).

PROHIBITED ACTIONS: Mother-shipping, tethering, holding, or any transportation coordination with non-competitors is strictly prohibited.

KAYAK INSPECTION: By entering the tournament, contestants agree to have their kayak inspected by BCKFC personnel.

WATER COURTESY / ENCROACHMENT

Do your best not to disturb someone else’s fishing area, by encroachment, or noise. An angler officially establishes his/her fishing area by having their craft anchored in place. If you come upon an angler in an egress area, as quietly as you can, ask which side he or she would like you to cross at. A good rule of thumb is that if you can both cast to a common point you’re too close. Respect others and use the golden rule.

PROTESTS

All protests must be written and submitted electronically (text/email/direct message from social media) within 30 minutes of the conclusion of “weigh in” to be considered. The tournament director is the final authority on deciding the merits/outcomes of a protest.  All anglers are encouraged to report cheating.

CHEATING/FOUL PLAY

All anglers are encouraged to report violations. Cheating and contest fraud in a fishing tournament is a felony crime in the state of Louisiana. Bayou Coast will enforce a zero-tolerance policy with regard to cheating.

POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

All participants, by signing up, agree to take a polygraph examination if requested. Any participant can be asked to submit to a polygraph examination. No explanation shall be required from the hosts of the tournament as to why a specific individual is asked to submit to a polygraph examination. Refusal to submit to or failure of a polygraph examination will result in disqualification from the tournament, forfeiture of any and all prizes / awards, and potential banishment from all future Bayou Coast events. No refunds for tournament fees will be granted for person(s) refusing to submit to or failing a polygraph examination.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND COVENANT NOT TO SUE

A waiver, release of liability, and covenant not to sue are part of the entry form. It is required that all contestants take responsibility for themselves while participating in event activities. Please DO NOT let your competitive nature push you into doing dangerous things. You must agree to the Waiver to participate. The Waiver is in the online registration page linked below. BE SAFE, BE SEEN, AND WEAR YOUR PFD!

COMMUNICATION

No electronic communication with non-registered anglers during tournament hours, unless not fishing related (your spouse/kids, work, etc). No pre-arranged coordination with any non-registered anglers on the water for the purpose of scouting or locating fish during tournament hours.

PFD REQUIREMENT

You must properly wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD while afloat in your watercraft during all Bayou Coast events. PFD’s must be worn outside of the angler’s outermost layer of clothing. Failure to comply with this rule during competition could result in disqualification from the tournament. Disqualification will be determined by the Tournament Director based on investigation of any specific incident. PFD’s may only be briefly removed on the water for the purpose of adding, removing, or adjusting clothing while an angler is stationary and not actively fishing.

RULE CHANGES

Interpretation of rules is exclusively left to the Tournament Directors and Bayou Coast Officers. The decisions of this group are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. Please do your part in not providing a reason to place them in a position where they must make rulings, decisions, etc. Keep it simple, keep it clean, and when in doubt…do the right thing.

FISH REQUIREMENTS

Each participant must catch their own fish. You may not give fish to another participant. You may not net a fish for another (adult) participant. Youths should hook and retrieve their own catch. A parent/guardian may net fish for them and may handle the fish once it is netted (including pictures in CPS events). In CPS events, anglers (participant or not) may not aid in taking pictures of fish in any way.

IN-PERSON WEIGH-INS

For weigh in events, “Air drying” of fish or the tails of redfish is NOT allowed. All parts of all fish should be placed on ice and maintained for freshness. Fish will only be accepted for the weigh-in if they are in a cooler bag, ice chest or other appropriate container that also contains ice. The entire fish should be in the container. Do not appear at the weigh-in with fish that are on a stringer and are not iced in a proper container or bag. Salt may not be added to fish bags

Only authorized persons will be allowed in the weigh-in station. Please try not to distract these volunteers while they go about their tasks. Weighed / Entered fish may or may not be returned as per the weigh-master’s discretion. The largest fish will be determined by weight. In the event of a tie, the first contestant to have signed in will be considered the winner while the other contestant will be dropped to the next position.

Fish will be bent, loosened and manipulated before being measured with a pinched tail. Tails of trout and flounder will be manually pinched to obtain maximum length as per the instructions found in the Louisiana Fishing Regulations, 2024 pamphlet. Tails of larger redfish will be pinched using the standardized tool attached to the measuring board, which, if needed and used, will be moved to the 25.50” line to pinch the tail of larger redfish.

DRONE/UAS USAGE

Tournament participants are not allowed to use unmanned aircraft systems (drones) during the tournament day(or official practice days) to scout for fish, spy on other anglers, or any other means that may be viewed as benefiting/advancing their fishing.

WEATHER

Tournament days may be shortened or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions. The decision to shorten or to cancel will be left totally to the discretion of the Tournament Director. A 4-hour period shall constitute a day of fishing.

REFUND POLICY

There will be no refunds available. Should the event date change for any reason, an announcement will be made, and a refund grace period allowed for anglers who cannot make the new date.